Codex
This is a not-so-random collection of supplementary information and any odd tidbit I might want to jot down for reference pertaining to the room's lore and history. As the actual setting is still a work in progress, it's probably to be expected that whatever is included here may change as Continuum is unraveled. Just treat whatever it is I write here as part of the room lore, and if you have any questions, suggestions, or anything in between, don't hesitate to ask. Also as this is not exactly super official, it's not going to have super excellent formatting. Oh well! Locations The Darmarran Expanse A vast stretch of land, Darmarran is rumored to be the site and subsequent fallout of a titanic battle between an Archmage of the Commune and a master assassin of the Andracian Pulse. In the region, popular legends state that both combatants fought for more than twenty-four hours before they finally succumbed to their wounds and exhaustion, both of them perishing as a result. All around them, what had once been a lush field eventually died from the scorched earth tactics and the massive drain of mana from the Archmage, becoming nothing more than a desert. Rather than being coated in sand, Darmarran consists mostly of hardpan, and is a harsh environment for anyone wishing to cross or live there. Darmarran only exists from the Empire Rising timeline on forward. During the Empire days, its strategic placement was the only reason Darmarran even had any Imperial presence in the first place. Even then, there were only a few outposts stationed in the desert. The region was mostly known for its lawlessness, and while most of the people living there weren't exactly rebellious, it was a haven for thieves and bandits in that timeline. A few towns sprang up in Darmarran during those days (Arryd being one of them), and most of them did not enjoy most of the creature comforts that the larger, more important Imperial cities enjoyed. Thus the people living in Darmarran weren't exactly the most patriotic. When Primal Fear first emerged, Darmarran was simply in the way of its onslaught. The expanse's outposts and towns were demolished as the beast charged through the desert, its terrible energies further turning them into an even harsher wasteland. Should anything spring up in Darmarran during the Fallout Years, it would be hard-pressed to survive in such a desolate environment. Cryomme The northernmost lands of the vast Ganemede continent are aptly called Cryomme. They are, by and large, nearly frozen all year round. Even during the summers, Cryomme is mostly frigid. Many tests have been conducted to learn of the land's unnaturally frigid nature. Most researchers attribute Cryomme's unnatural cold to specific leyline points in that stretch of land, all of them exhibiting vast mana reserves elementally aligned with wind and water. Whatever the case, Cryomme is not a home for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, it boasts its own brand of flora and fauna. And settlements have always cropped up in its lands. Throughout history, Cryomme has been largely untouched by civilization at large. Even the Danek Empire kept a meager presence in the northern lands. Cryomme has, however, been home to many a legend, attracting all manner of explorer and treasure hunter into its frigid grasp. Some stories tell of vast meteor showers impacting Cryomme, changing its leylines and dotting the landscape with valuable stones and minerals. Others state that dwarves seeking to avoid the conflicts of humanity settled deep beneath the ice to stake their claim on the vast riches awaiting them in the ground. Legends of civilizations rising and falling quickly and inexplicably in the land, leaving all of their valuable possessions behind. Cryomme is a dangerous land. Yet it has always been a source of exploration and wonder for the intrepid, both in the past and in the future. Even after the world was shattered, Cryomme has continued to exist. And so it shall, until the end of the world itself. Vys Reven Antai In the time in between the Elder Days and the Age of Discord, a large collection of elven leyline manipulators devised a grand vision for themselves and for their people. This vision was collected around the founding and empowerment of a vast, technologically superior city which they named Vys Reven Antai, the City of Entombment. This grand vision was meant to install elvenkind as the true superpower of the world, overshadowing Sulaihlah, and allowing its denizens to unify the various elven kingdoms under one banner. The city in itself would boast the most advanced technology that elvenkind had ever seen, for it meant to summon and harness the power of the Further to be utilized as fuel for Reven. Naturally, many an elf was opposed to the idea. The Further exists in a different plane of reality for a reason, and to court the vast power of the Enas and the Yzarc was usually viewed as folly. However, the dreamers of Vys Reven Antai simply collected their own supporters and began to work. And, truthfully, they built a magnificent city. As was their nature, the elves did not destroy the land upon which they built; they simply harnessed it, working in conjunction with it to nevertheless give form and function to the grand vision that the leyline manipulators had. The elves of the land then began the task of summoning Enas and Yzarc from the Further, instantly entombing them in specialized encapsulations which were meant to hold them in check and harness the vast energies they held to power their city. And thus Vys Reven Antai saw huge success, becoming superior to any of the budding human cities, or even any of the elven kingdoms, in both power and glory. As expected by many, hubris was what undid the City of Entombment. Accounts are scarce and varied, and thus the real history of the city will never be known. What is known is that Vys Reven Antai's tombs did not hold forever, for some reason, and soon enough the Enas and Yzarc ran rampant through the city. While mortals will most likely never comprehend the actions behind these creatures, most agree that they were simply angered by their imprisonment and lashed out. Other theories further delve into the very nature of such creatures. What -is- known, however, is that Reven fell rather quickly. And from the Age of Discord onward, Vys Reven Antai has become an actual tomb. Ripe for exploration, but presumably vastly dangerous. Artifacts and other items of import Manacite The most prized ore ever to be discovered by humanity, Manacite was the cornerstone for the magic technological leaps and bounds that they achieved with Arcanus. Without this ore, humanity probably would have never banded together as closely as it did when the Empire formed with Arcanus as its base and spread throughout most of the continent with frightening rapidity. Manacite lies at the core of every Arcanus device, and it is essentially what gives this technology its power. Manacite was first discovered in the vast and expansive mines within the Danekian mountains. Well removed from the Iron Kingdom, Danek had been mostly untouched by the dwarves. While Manacite was not exactly new to the dwarves themselves, it had never been researched as thoroughly as humanity did, and thus it was only too late when they realized its destructive potential. It was this seemingly limitless mine that spurred the creation of the First Hierarchical City, if only to zealously protect one of the Empire's most precious resources. In its base form, Manacite appears as a clear, crystalline substance. The ore is more durable than actual crystals, though with enough force it can still be broken down and plied into a shape by any skilled hand. However, manipulating Manacite physically doesn't bring about its true potential. Manacite passively absorbs mana from its surroundings if left to its own devices, and this effect is further compounded if it happens to be deposited above powerful leyline conduits or in an area saturated with mana in the atmosphere. While this alone does not create an Arcanus core, Manacite did allow those that were not skilled in magecraft to have access to mana, when normally they would not be able to wield it. Thus, it was discovered that since Manacite could absorb and hold mana within its lattices, a skilled engineer could actually program magical spells and enchantments onto a Manacite core. This process was at first volatile, dangerous, and did not work for half the time. But humanity was on the verge of a great discovery, and ever eager to better itself and survive in a war-torn world, these engineers finally formed the basis of Arcanus cores, and eventually paved the way for the Danek Empire and all that followed after. In the Fallout Years, Manacite is as much an illegal substance as Arcanus and magecraft itself. Of course, the First Hierarchical City still contains a ridiculous amount of Manacite, and there are always those eager to get their hands on it, no matter what the Order of Opeth says or wishes. Organizations Terminal Dogma Everyone knows of the Order of Opeth, established after the Primal Fear war as the continent's largest and most encompassing religious sect. The Order acts as a shining beacon for the people of Ganemede, with the exception of the First Hierarchical City, and its Knights of the Order maintain that beacon, and lead others toward its light. However, wherever there is light, darkness lurks just behind it. Just as every living being knows of the Order to some extent, almost none know of its shadowy counterpart, Terminal Dogma. The leaders and members of Terminal Dogma are few and far in between. They are, however, every bit as fiercely loyal to the Order as any Knight that can be found. Their methods in carrying out their faith are incredibly different, however, and the deeds that they perform would cast the Order of Opeth into questionable doubt. Terminal Dogma deploys a few agents out into the real world, and these are called Faithbringers. Despite their name, Faithbringers are naught but agents of assassination, spywork, deceit, and subterfuge. They are dispatched to do away with the enemies of the Order of Opeth where diplomacy or force may fail. A Faithbringer is inducted into Terminal Dogma at a very young age, or from birth if able, and is trained in various ways to become agents in the shadows of the Order. This training includes a very arcane and rigorous ritual which instills within each Faithbringer a fragmented personality; where once there was one, a pair of new personalities are instead born. These personalities work in concert, and help to throw off suspicion and other means so that a Faithbringer may perform his or her duties without fail. In such a way, the Order of Opeth may maintain its public approval and still work diligently to unify what is left of the world within its religious dogma. The Imperial Army It is widely known that the Danek Empire wielded the most powerful, expansive, and dominating military in all of the continent throughout Ganemede's history. Practically nearly every aspect of it was geared around the practice and use of Arcanus, though with such a massive force, there were always their exceptions. One of those exceptions came from the noble Cobalt family, whom contributed powerful leaders and Innates to the cause. Those that are not exceptions are those of the more regular soldiers that can be found within the military: men and women whom employ various Arcanus weapons to suit their needs. While there are a few ranks within the ones denoted below, these are the broadest and most general that many know of within their military: * Armsmancer: This is the lowest rank within the Imperial military. Typically an Armsmancer is adept at wielding his or her Arcanus, and usually only possess one. An Armsmancer wears gunmetal gray regalia. * Aegimancer: Aegimancers specialize in defense. They may wield more than one Arcanus artifact if they possess the means to do so, and may specialize in any number of skills and abilities, but for the most part, the rank of Aegimancer is offered to those that can heal and/or defend their comrades. Anything ranging from combat medics to shield specialists falls under this rank. Aegimancers wear green and gray regalia. * Mechanimancer: Even more varied than the Aegimancers, Mechanimancers are those individuals within the Imperial military that maintain and operate the many machines of war that the Empire employs. They range from those that simply serve as repairmen and engineers, to those that operate airships or siege engines. A specialized corps within the Mechanimancer rank are those that operate golem soldiers. Indeed, a skilled and powerful Mechanimancer is one that is capable of operating scores of golems by himself and at the same time. Mechanimancers wear blue and gray regalia. * Heliomancer: the rank of Heliomancer is bestowed upon the elite soldiers of the Empire. Heliomancers typically wield two or more Arcanus weapons, and are very proficient in their use. A member of this rank has also displayed leadership qualities, and thus Heliomancers are put in charge of squadrons more often than not. A Heliomancer has been raised from within the lower ranks, and as such, squadrons of Armsmancers, Aegimancers, and Mechanimancers will usually have a Heliomancer as their commander. Heliomancers wear black and gold regalia. * Tetramancer: A rank well above Heliomancer, a Tetramancer goes above and beyond what the rest of the Imperial army is capable of. Tetramancers are fearsome and powerful individuals, whether through martial might or intelligent prowess. They command scores of soldiers, giving orders to the Heliomancers whenever massive battles occurred. There are several degrees of Tetramancers and not all of them command the same respect, honor, or number of soldiers. From within this rank, the Danekian emperors have long since chosen their trusted advisors. Tetramancers wear white and gold regalia. The Seven Blades of Zenith Not much can be said about the Seven Blades. Confirmation of their actual existence has also not officially been substantiated. As such, the Seven Blades of Zenith have mostly been nothing but rumors, legends, and hearsay perpetrated since the earliest applications of Arcanus technology were revealed to the world at large. The Seven Blades of Zenith were unofficially known as the strongest of the strong; seven titanic warriors whom served under the Danekian emperor directly. Held in esteem and honor far higher than even the most decorated of generals, the seven were supposed to be the direct hands of the emperor. Their actual identities were never established, and this was in part due to a very specific reason: the Zenith blades were not their actual wielders. The Seven Blades of Zenith's members were not the same seven warriors. The name actually refers to the weapons themselves -- seven Arcanus weapons, the most powerful ever conceived. Able to easily rival or even outmatch even the most seasoned of archmages, the Seven Blades were thus wielded by the most powerful and loyal of all of the Emperor's warriors. The organization in itself was geared around these seven artifacts, and only those that wielded and mastered them completely were inducted into their order. The appearance of the seven blades, or their actual abilities, are but one of the many mysteries surrounding the supposed group. Cultural Information Magic Throughout all of history, magic has been a fixture in the lives of most every creature in Ganemede, for better and worse. Magic was the power that the elves shared with humanity. Magic was what humanity worked to perfect and master, until they moved well beyond the traditional spellcasters and into the realm of their technology. Magic was then one of the focal points of the Order of Opeth, which was basically outlawed as part of their religious tenets. It is an undeniable fact that the manipulation of mana provided by Ganemede's leylines has been an important, historical fixture throughout every accessible timeline. For most of history, magic was more or less the norm for the denizens of the continent. Mana manipulation was widely accepted and wielded, leading to many leaps and bounds for the many civilizations of the world. When innates and psions began to emerge, traditionalists declared that such powers were dangerous and unwieldy, rallying behind the usage of magic itself. The Danek Empire, in turn, took to magical research with a zealous fervor, applying Arcanus technology to every facet of its citizens' lives. All of that came to a halt after the Primal Fear war, when the Order of Opeth declared that magic would lead to another cataclysm that the world would no doubt not survive. One common theme throughout history has been the basic, elemental reason of why magic is wielded in the first place. In the world of Ganemede, magic mostly equates to research. A magus is akin to a scientist, plumbing the secrets of magic and applying those secrets to discover, in turn, the secrets of Ganemede itself.